Park, Ruth

(NZ, 1922– )

Park worked in Australia as a journalist and in a range of jobs in the outback; she has written prolifically for adults and children, and won a number of Australian prizes for her work. Poor Man's Orange (1949) is set in the post-war slums of Sydney, and deals with the family life of a young girl growing to adulthood. From the rats that bite the babies, to the death of a beloved sister, and falling in love with her grief-stricken husband, Park chronicles the tragedies and joys of a crowded, working-class life with humanity and compassion.

Miles Franklin, Betty Smith, Maisie Mosco  JR